Visiting the College

Use of King’s Servery and Coffee Shop

You may use the Servery and Coffee Shop when they are open and when the College is open to the public. You will need your Non-Resident Member card; please pay at the till. Please be respectful of the staff and do not enter the Hall while an event is occurring or being set up.

Use of the Senior Combination Room (SCR)

Non-Resident Members returning to the College may make occasional use of the SCR. Please inform the Pantry by email or by phone on +44 (0)1223 748947 prior to your visit and introduce yourself to a member of the Pantry staff upon arrival.

Use of the Library and Archive Centre

If you wish to use the Library, please contact the College Librarian, James Clements by email or by phone on +44 (0)1223 331252. For use of the Archive Centre, please contact the Archivist, Patricia McGuire by email or by phone on +44 (0)1223 331444.

Booking Punts

Punts cannot be pre-booked. If you require use of a punt, please attend the Porters’ Lodge at the time you would like to use one. Turnaround is reasonably fast even at the busiest periods, so you should not expect to wait very long for a free punt if one is not immediately available. Punts cost £8 per hour.

Lawns

Senior Non-Resident Members* are entitled to walk across the College lawns accompanied by any family and friends. Please introduce yourself to a Porter beforehand.

_{*Senior Non-Resident Members of the College are defined by Ordinance as those who have:
a) been admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the University; OR
b) been admitted to the degree of Master of Arts by the University, provided that a period of at least six years and a term has elapsed since their matriculation; OR
c) been admitted to the degree of Master of Science, Master of Letters or Master of Philosophy by the University, provided that a period of at least two years and a term has elapsed since admission to that degree;
AND
d) are not current students at the University of Cambridge.}

A limited number of rooms with en-suite facilities are available for booking by alumni. We regret that rooms can be booked for guests only if they are accompanied by you, and that children cannot be accommodated. You may book up to two rooms for a maximum of three consecutive nights. Please note that guest rooms are in considerable demand; booking in advance is strongly recommended.

Please book by email, or if your request is immediate (e.g. over a weekend), please contact the Porters’ Lodge on +44 (0)1223 331100. Rooms must be cancelled at least 24 hours in advance or the full fee will be charged. On arrival, please collect your room key from the Porters’ Lodge at any time after 2pm and also pay there on arrival. Checkout time is 9.30am. Breakfast is not available but pastries are available from the coffee shop, and brunch is available in Hall on Saturday and Sunday from 11.00am to 1.30pm. You will need your Non-Resident Member card; please pay in cash at the till.

Senior Non-Resident Members* may take up to six High Table dinners in each academic year; these dinners are free of charge. All bookings are at the discretion of the Vice Provost, and the number of Senior Non-Resident Members dining at High Table is limited to six (including guests) on any one evening.

If fewer than three Fellows have signed in for dinner, High Table may not take place. In such an event, we will endeavour to give you advance warning to make alternative plans.

Dinners may be taken on Tuesday to Friday during Term, with Tuesdays and Thursdays designated as Wine Nights, when diners are invited to assemble for further refreshment in the Wine Room following dinner. Those wishing to attend must sign in at least 48 hrs before the evening you wish to dine, booking further in advance is recommended. Please email for more details.

A Senior Non-Resident Member may bring one guest at a cost of £53 on Tuesdays and Thursdays during Full Term, and £44 on other nights.

At High Table, Senior Non-Resident Members are guests of the Fellowship. If you would like to dine with a larger group than can be accommodated at High Table, please book one of the Saltmarsh Rooms through the Catering Department.

High Table dinner is served at 7.30pm. Please assemble in the Senior Combination Room (SCR) at 7pm and help yourself to a glass of wine. Please introduce yourself (and any guest) to the Provost, Vice Provost or presiding Fellow. No charge is made for wine taken before, during, or after dinner

Purchasing wine

The Pantry has an excellent wine list available to alumni throughout the year. It also has two sales, in the summer and at Christmas, as well as other occasional offers. All relevant wine lists are sent out by email. If you wish to receive these lists, please inform the Pantry.

Several rooms in King's are available for private bookings. For further information please contact the Catering Office by email or by phone on +44 (0)1223 331410. Reservations should be made as far ahead as possible.

_{*Senior Non-Resident Members of the College are defined by Ordinance as those who have:
a) been admitted to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the University; OR
b) been admitted to the degree of Master of Arts by the University, provided that a period of at least six years and a term has elapsed since their matriculation; OR
c) been admitted to the degree of Master of Science, Master of Letters or Master of Philosophy by the University, provided that a period of at least two years and a term has elapsed since admission to that degree;
AND
d) are not current students at the University of Cambridge.}

Alumni attending normal Chapel services may bring two guests, sit in the College stalls and queue for admission in the College queue, usually in front of the Gibbs Building. We regret that we cannot normally allow children to sit in the College stalls.

For some services tickets are issued and different seating rules will apply. If in doubt, or hoping to bring more guests, alumni should contact the Dean’s Verger well in advance, by phone on +44 (0)1223 746506, or by email. In any case, the Dean and Chaplain are always glad to know when alumni will be attending and to have the opportunity to greet them on arrival or departure.

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

There are no tickets for alumni for this service on Christmas Eve. Alumni wishing to attend should join the main queue. Details about the service are available on the Chapel pages of the King's website. 

As part of the King’s community, alumni have access to a number of benefits and services provided by the College. If you find that your query isn't answered here, please contact the Development Office by email or by phone on +44 (0)1223 331313.

We would also be grateful if you could let the Development Office know of any change of details (address/phone/email/employment) so that we can keep you up-to-date with College news and events. You may also wish to inform us of any achievements or awards to include in the next Annual Report.

Members wishing to get in touch with friends or contemporaries with whom they may have lost contact are also encouraged to email the Development Office in the first instance.